


The Final Piece

by tlcinbflo



Series: Stories from Andromeda [6]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Blow Jobs, Cunnilingus, F/M, First Time, Missionary Position, Oral Sex, Secrets, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 05:27:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12125526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tlcinbflo/pseuds/tlcinbflo
Summary: Sara Ryder believes she's figured out the Charlatan's identity, and she confronts Reyes Vidal with an unexpected, but not unpleasant result.





	The Final Piece

**Author's Note:**

> While not necessary, I do recommend reading She Likes Puzzles before this fic. Enjoy! - TLC

When she’d set foot in Tartarus, all Sara had wanted was a cool drink that would make her head swim and ease the dry ache in her throat. Usually, Kian and his mixes were sufficient and the atmosphere was ironically relaxing – with its scantily clad dancers, pounding bass, and flashing lights. Tonight, however, nothing would ease the tension in her shoulders and the turian scowling at her from the corner of the bar wasn’t helping her mood.

She decided to call it a night and made to move towards the exit. She waved to Kian who offered her a nod as she turned towards the stairs. The turian from the corner stepped in front of her and she cocked an eyebrow as she stared up at him. “You’re from the Nexus, aren’t you?”

“Nope,” she answered and moved to step around him and avoid any altercation. The last thing she wanted was to damage Kian’s place, and with the mood she was in, it wouldn’t take much to set her off. The turian stepped to stay in her way, and Sara lifted her chin defiantly.

“I don’t remember seeing you around here. You’re new. Only new people are Nexus people. I don’t like Nexus people.” The turian’s voice was low, gruff, and his subharmonics purred.

“You must have a very bad memory, then. Now, if you don’t mind,” she said, and when she placed her hand on his arm to keep him still and move towards the exit, he shoved her.

Her backend hit a table and her arms flew out behind her, stopping her from falling off the table as her feet lifted from the floor. Before she could react, before she could even flare – her biotics humming beneath her skin – there was a salarian standing between them. His hands fisting the turian’s shirt and pushing him from her. She recognized him as the Collective Recruiter she’d seen in Kralla’s Den but fuck if she could remember his name.

“The Charlatan says she’s not to be touched,” the salarian was hissing at the turian as he shoved him towards the exit, glancing back quickly at Sara. She stood again, tugging at her clothes, straightening them as she turned to go back to Kian. The bartender was smirking at her as she pulled up a stool and sat across from him, the bars still between them.

“One more for the road?” he asked her, his smirk growing when she looked up at him, her brow creased and confusion dancing in her eyes. She nodded.

“It makes sense that the Charlatan would want Scott – _the Pathfinder_ – kept out of harm’s way, but why me? That’s … ridiculous,” she mused as she lifted her drink to her lips, taking a long drink. “I’m nobody.” She set the glass down and looked to the floor.

Kian leaned over and wiped the bar in front of her, his eyes bright. “The Charlatan thinks otherwise,” he offered and she snorted a laugh. “He likes you here. He thinks you’re a _good fit_ for Kadara.”

“What?” Sara asked, her heart in her throat and her eyes wide. Her palms grew slick as she gripped the glass hard in her hand. “What did you just say?” Maybe the music was too loud and she misheard him.

“He says, you fit here, _perfectly_ , and he—” Sara was gone before Kian could finish speaking.

Reyes reviewed the reports from his scouts in the badlands. Everything was set for the meeting with Sloane Kelly in just two days’ time. He set the data pad down and leaned back on his couch, scrubbing his hands over his face. Once Sloane was out of the picture and he was secure in his role as leader of Kadara, he would tell Sara everything, and hope she would understand and forgive him for keeping her in the dark.

He reached for his drink and lifted it to his lips. A loud pounding at his door broke through the silence and he jumped out of his skin. A string of Spanish curses slipped from him as he moved to the door, brushing spilled whiskey off his shirt as he went. His heart falling as he considered the wasted liquor. There was only one person who would be so bold as to show up to his home uninvited and unannounced. He didn’t even bother checking before he undid the locks and chain.

He opened the door with a grin, “Ryder, to what do I—?” she pushed him out of the way and entered his home. Her eyes wide and her face twisted with confusion. “What’s wrong? What’s happened? Are you okay?” He knew his concern was plain in his voice but he didn’t care at the moment. Worry overwhelmed any other emotion. He followed her, reaching out and taking her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

“What? Nothing. I’m fine. You… Whenever anyone talks about the Charlatan, they say _he_ and that, on its own, is nothing.” She dropped her eyes from his, her hands twisting before her. “You’re never where you’re supposed to be … you’re not at Tartarus or here or Kralla’s Den whenever the Charlatan is supposed to be meeting someone or giving orders.” He swallowed hard, sliding his hands down her arms to cover hers – stilling them. “The Charlatan says I’m not to be harmed,” she paused, finally looking up and meeting his eyes as she gestured around him. “You have _an unhackable door_ and then tonight … tonight Kian said that the Charlatan thinks I’m a _perfect fit_ for Kadara.”

He said nothing; up until this moment, she had made no accusation, but she had promised she was good at puzzles. Silence stretched between them. Reyes’ heart was racing between his throat and the pit of his stomach. If she didn’t say something soon, he might vomit and that wouldn’t be good for his reputation. “Sara, I need you to—"

“Reyes, you’re the Charlatan.”

He was sure his heart stopped for at least a full sixty seconds. “You called me Reyes,” he muttered, taking a miniscule step closer to her. She didn’t move.

“You called me Sara,” she replied, her voice rough and her eyes filling with tears. “You’re the-”

“Yes, I am,” he confirmed, and he felt her exhale against him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, and he was comforted by the fact that she hadn’t left; she hadn’t even moved away from him.

“Is it awful if I say it was habit?” he asked, a weight he didn’t know was resting on his shoulders had lifted. The fact that she knew was a relief he regretted denying himself. “When we met, I didn’t know _this_ ,” he paused, lacing their fingers as he continued, “was going to happen. I don’t tell people. I can count on one hand the number of people who know and they only know because they’ve been with me since the start. It wasn’t until I wanted to tell you, that I realized just how important you are to me, and by then I’d already kept it from you for so long.” He paused, her face was unreadable stone. “If Sloane had any indication that you knew who I was, who the Charlatan was, Sara, the things she would have done to you to get that information… I never want to be the reason you’re in danger.”

He didn’t know what she was thinking, and her silence set his nerves on fire. She licked her lips. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

“As soon as Sloane was _removed_ ,” he answered easily, his voice hard. “As soon as she was no longer a threat. You don’t understand… I won’t risk _you_. You’re the only person in Andromeda who knows… me, and _I can’t lose you_ , Sara.”

“Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

“No. You know…,” he paused, lifting her hands and pressing his lips to her gloved fingers. “You have all the pieces now.” He watched her through his lashes as she laughed softly.

She took his hands and wrapped his arms around her as she stepped into his embrace. Her hands slid up his arms as he pulled her tight against him, his heart raged wildly against his ribcage, desperate to break free. She pressed her forehead to his. Her hands fisted in his t-shirt and her breath danced over his neck as she whispered, “I told you I was good at puzzles.” She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

As soon as she did, he held her tighter and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to his bedroom. She bunched his shirt in her hands as her mouth worked against his. Their kiss broke as she pulled his shirt off, tossing it behind him as he set her back on her feet. His bed behind her. He leaned away from her, his hand coming up to brush the back of his fingers against her cheek. She leaned into his touch. Her hands resting flat over his chest. “I want you; I want this, but are you sure you want me? All of me? The Charlatan? The smuggler? The thief? You could have … so much more.” She stepped back from him, and his heart sank. His throat dried and nausea rolled through his gut. She was walking away from him.

Except she wasn’t. She locked eyes with him and toed off her boots as she pulled off her gloves. His eyes followed her hands as she removed her scarf and leather jacket. Her shirt was next and she pulled it over her head. He swallowed hard as she exposed the soft skin of her belly and her black utility bra. It wasn’t lingerie. It wasn’t lace or see through or risqué, but he had never seen anything sexier than her half naked and offering herself to him. Her hands went to her belt and pants, and she shimmied her hips and let them fall down her toned legs. She sat on his bed, in just her bra and briefs and scooted back her eyes never leaving him. She leaned back on her elbows.

Her eyes dropped to his belt, and he removed his pants in record time. She chewed her lip as he freed his growing erection before kneeling on the edge of the bed, “You’re absolutely stunning.” She rolled her eyes as he crawled towards her, grinning.

“Just come here, already,” she said and he complied, his dog tags trailing over her breasts as he reached her, holding his weight on his elbows. She let herself rest against his pillows as his lips found hers in a searing kiss. She whimpered and he smirked into the kiss. His knee knocked her legs apart and he settled in the cradle of her hips. He shifted, his lips moving to her neck as her breath grew short and fast.

Her skin was softer than he expected, and he nuzzled his face against the swell of her breast. She sighed, her hands carding his hair and holding him close. He loved the feel of her arms around him, of her body beneath his, and her breath on his skin. She arched her back as his hand sought the hook of her bra. He undid it swiftly. “You’re pretty good at that, Vidal,” she muttered and he pulled back, meeting her eyes. Her pupils were blown wide and swirls of biotic energy danced in the arctic depths.

“Not Vidal,” he said it, and it wasn’t a question. She reached up and cupped his face.

“Reyes,” she whispered, and an honest smile – not a grin or a smirk – broke his face and she laughed as he brought his lips back to hers making space between them to remove her bra. Once the offending material was discarded, he dropped his head. The scruff of his stubble scratched against the delicate skin. She gasped, her hands gripping the bedsheets as he took one mound into his mouth. His tongue moving skillfully around the peak, suckling gently.

She groaned long and low and his answering chuckle was deep, masculine, and vibrating in his chest as he moved to the other side.

“Goddamn it, Reyes,” she muttered, wrapping her arms around him and rolling. She caught him off guard as she took control of the moment. “I want to taste you,” she demanded and he groaned at the sight before him. She was on her elbows and knees, her breasts heavy and brushing his chest as she dropped her lips to his, kissing him deeply. Her tongue was velvet against his. His erection brushed against her thigh and he hissed. She reached one hand down between them, and he cursed as she wrapped it around the base of him.

She moved her lips from his and his head fell back onto the pillows. She left a scorching trail of wet kisses down his neck, her teeth grazing his pulse point. She lapped at his nipple before her teeth tugged just enough to be on the right side of painful. When he moaned, he felt her smile. He lifted his head, propping himself up on his elbows to watch as she left open mouthed kisses on his abdomen, her tongue following the trail of hair to meet her hand at the base of him. She moved lower in bed as she hovered over him.

“Fuck, Sara,” he gasped as she stroked him with long, slow movements, her thumb swiping over the tip with every pass. She grinned.

“I love the way you say my name,” she admitted, her tongue sneaking out to lap at the underside of his tip. “Say it again?” she asked, wrapping her lips around him and sucking deeply. He did; he said her name over and over, chanting it like a man possessed as she took him as deep as she could. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his and it was nearly his undoing. He knew he would never forget the sight of her there, and in this moment. It was almost too much.

“Stop; if you don’t, I’ll finish,” he admitted, and she released him. He reached down and cupped her face. Sitting up, he coaxed her to him, his lips meeting hers as he laid down, pulling her with him, on top of him. He rolled, pinning her beneath him and taking her wrists in hand. He held them against the bed and moved lower, teasing her with his lips, teeth, and tongue. As he reached her waist, he looked up at her. Her head pressed into the pillows, her eyes pinched shut, and her hips rolling. He released her wrists and hooked his fingers in the elastic of her briefs. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“Yes, Reyes, please,” she answered, her breathing heavy and she reached up, anchoring herself by gripping his headboard. He pressed his nose against her core and inhaled.

“You’re perfect,” he answered, moving and pressing featherlight kisses against the tender skin of her inner thigh as he pulled her briefs off. She helped him, maneuvering her legs to remove them. Her hips rolled, seeking friction, as he continued the teasing touch of his mouth on her legs, hips, and belly. A string of curses slipped from her among needy moans and when he swiped his tongue over her, she called out.

He explored her with his lips and tongue, driving inside her, and listening to her to learn the moves that made her gasp or call out or shudder. Her legs trembled on either side of his head as she cried out his name. Her body tensed and her breath caught in her throat. He looked up and watched her body bend to his will as her first orgasm crashed over her. He placed a ridiculously chaste kiss to her overly sensitive skin before crawling back up the bed.

She was breathing hard, gasping; her eyelids heavy. Her tongue slipped out, timidly seeking his kiss and he covered her mouth with his as she eagerly accepted his weight back on top of her. She wrapped her legs around him. When he broke the kiss, and pressed his forehead to hers, she smiled. She reached between them, and found him. She positioned him, and his eyes fluttered in heady anticipation at how ready she was. He met her eyes then, and moved his hands to frame her face. “Don’t look away,” it was a statement, but also a request and she pressed a quick kiss to his lips as he slowly pushed into her.

Her back bowed and her eyes rolled. He grinned as she whimpered and met his constant gaze again. Her breath escaped in short shallow puffs, mingling with his as he kissed her over, and over, in short quick presses of his lips. His hips met hers, and he paused, allowing them both a moment to savor how he filled her. His hands found hers and their fingers linked. Her back arched and her hips rolled and he groaned long and low as he started the slow steady rocking of his hips.

Her head dug into the pillow and he dropped his lips to the exposed column of her neck, kissing, licking, and biting everything he could reach as he grunted quietly. He listened to the soft sighs she gave and the gentle moans he coaxed from her as they moved together both chasing their sweet release. He was close, and from the way her body tensed, he knew she was, too. She whimpered his name, the needy sound bringing him closer. “Look at me.” He lifted his head, and met her eyes. “Faster.” Lifting himself slightly for leverage, he moved faster as she broke beneath him calling out his name, _Reyes_.

His name on her lips in that moment, was all that he needed to push him over the edge. He fell with her, losing everything – his name, his title, everything – except for her, except for the look in her eyes and his name from her as they found their sweet release. He collapsed onto her, his forehead pressed to her collarbone and her arms wrapped tight around him as she accepted all of him. It took a brief eternity for his breathing to calm and for sense to return. Yet, she was still trembling beneath him. He lifted his head and fear lanced through him as he found tears streaming from her eyes, racing over her temples, and disappearing into her hair.

“Sara? Are you—Did I—What—?”

“No,” she gasped. “You’re perfect.” He slipped from her and moved to her side, pulling her to him, she rolled and buried her face in his chest. He held her until her tears abated and she wrapped her arms around him. “I never thought…” she muttered pulling back and wiping at her face. Something about her tears made her eyes shine in a new way. “I never let myself believe I would… Fuck, Reyes, I don’t know why I’m crying. I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”

“Okay… did I hurt you?” he asked, and she shook her head no. “Do you… regret this?”

“God, no, never,” the conviction in her tone sent chills down his spine.

“Good, because, that was…,” he paused and grinned, “I told you we’d fit,” he reminded her and her answering laugh was felt all the way to his bones. He knew, in that moment, he would do everything in his power to hear that laugh every day for the rest of his life.


End file.
